Locker wardrobe



J. B. O'CONNOR Oct. 13, 1953 LOCKER WARDROBE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1945 Oct. 13, 195 3 J. B. O'CONNOR LOCKER WARDROBE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1945 mm um I 22hr J. a. O'CONNOR 2,655,424

LockER WARDROBE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 QJUZ /MJfi Qn/ZQZ' Oct. 13, 1953 Filed May 21, 1945 mark/2Z4) VIII I/lldlllllllllllllldll Ill 7l/lIl/ Oct. 13, 1953 I O'CONNOR 2,655,424

LOCKER WARDROBE Filed May 21, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' "W",T ",F%WWI"*"-IT IMU .IMQMUT'LIWIIM .H f

Patenteci Oct. 13, 1953 LOCKER WARDROBE John B. OConnor, Aurora, 111., assignor to Lyon Metal Products, Incorporated, Aurora, 111., a corporation 01' Illinois Application May 21, 1945, Serial No. 594,980

4 Claims.

This invention relates to lockers or wardrobes, or a combined locker and wardrobe, particularly for use in shops and factories.

It is an object of the invention to provide a. storage structure which includes a series of closable compartments and an associated, specifically underlying cabinet having provision for the spaced positioning and detachable mounting of a series of coat hangers, each of which hangers has an elongated flexible member, such as a chain, which is non-detachably connected to the stationary part of the locker, which passes through a loop portion of the coat hanger and is provided on its free end with a button-like part of a locking device adapted detachably to be positioned in the slot of the closable door of one of the compartments, which preferably immediately overlies the particular coat hanger, and arranged so that when the door is closed the end of the chain is locked to the door of that particular compartment.

In addition, the invention comprises means whereby the various coat hangers are mounted in spaced relation along and under the series of closable compartments, and in a manner such that while they are maintained in spaced relation so that they cannot "he slid or bunched together, each coat hanger can be removed from its location but cannot be removed from the chain or flexible member. The arrangement then is such that one of the factory employees can unlock one of the closable compartments, run the free end of the chain through the sleeve of the coat, hang the coat upon the coat hangerand then position the locking means in the "slot of the door, put his hat and other property in the compartment and lock the door, and thus he will also lock his coat upon the clothes hanger in such a manner that it cannot be removed therefrom, and in such a mannerthat the various coat hangers will be maintained in spaced relation with respect 'to each other and cannot be slid along or bunched to one side of the coat hanger space.

Yet another object of the invention resides in providing details of construction of the foregoing structure.

Another object of" the-invention resides in pro viding a particular type of partition mounting for the partitions of the cabinet.

These and other objects or the invention will" be apparent from a perusal of the following specification when taken in connection. with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the improved locker wardrobe, one of the hinged doors being shown in dotted lines as raised to open position;

Figure 2 is a right side view of the locker wardrobe shown in Figure 1 with certain parts of the frame broken away, to show a coat in position and a chain passing through the sleeve of the coat;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the base, and being taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4;:

Figure 7 is a detail plan section taken on line 1-4 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the partition members;

Figures 9 and 10 are fragmentary perspective views of the doors of the locker and their association with the chain locking device;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of one of the coat hangers Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the rail for supporting the coat hangers;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary front view of the' coat hanger and-its association with the hanger supporting rail; and

Figure 14 is a detail sectional view taken on the line -14 of Figure 10.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the invention comprises a preferably sheet metal bottom 2 having depending flanges on all sides,

- Another object of the invention resides in ;pro-

the depending flange 4 being shown in Figure 1 To the ends of this bottom '2 are secured two lower cornerbrackets 6 and 8 of the construction shown in Figure 1, each of which com prises an outside vertical "wall IO having an up per edge as at 12 doubled upon itself for strength and ornamentation, and having a lower inwardly extending horizontal flange I4 which underlies the lower edge H3 of thebasal flanges, such as 4. These twodower brackets are cut away in curvilinear fashion for ornamental purposes. The base 2 is bolted to these lower corner brackets by means of the bolts 20, as shown in Figure 3, In addition, the base ,2 is provided with a centrally disposed reinforcing element of sheet metal, generally in the form of a pan 22 having upper longitudinally extending opposed flanges 24 and 26 which are welded to the underside of the base 2, as shown. The two ends of the lower portion 28 of the pan are provided with two downwardly extending flanges 30 which are spot welded as at 32 to the end basal flanges of the base. In addition there are four upright angle posts 34, the bottoms of which, as shown at 36, rest upon the base 2. The lower corner brackets are bolted to these corner posts as shown at M for rigidly holding the corner posts in upright position. The corner posts ex tend upwardly and terminate at 31, as shown in Figure 4.

The locker unit is supported upon the four posts 34 and held in position thereon by means of two upper corner brackets 86 and 88. The locker unit itself comprises a rectangular boxlike structure 40 having opposed vertical end walls 56 and 68, a top wall 42, and a base 44. Like the bottom portion of this locker wardrobe, the upper locker part thereof is formed preferably of sheet metal. As shown best in Figure 4, it includes a sheet metal back panel 45 which has a lower flange 46. edge underlying a rear depending flange 48 of the sheet metal top 42, the same being bolted together as at 52. The front edge of this sheet metal top is provided with a front depending flange 54. Each of the two sheet metal ends 56 and 58 has an inturned flange 60 at the top and an inturned flange 62 along its rear side. The top flanges 60 overlie the top wall 42 and the rear flanges 62 overlie the ends of the back wall 45 and are secured thereto by bolts 63 and by bolts 65 at the corners which also secure the flange 48 of the top 42.

The front 50 is a rectangular frame structure preferably formed as a single piece having a series of spaced apart rectangular openings therein, as shown in Fig. 1. This front 50 has a rearwardly extending flange 64 along its top edge, another rearwardly extending flange 66 along its bottom edge and similar flanges 68 at each end. Each of the spaced apart rectangular openings I0 is also provided with a series of rearwardly extending flanges consisting of a flange I2 at the top, a flange 14 at the bottom. a flange I6 at one side and a flange I8 at the other.

A series of bolts 90 located at spaced intervals along the entire length of the top flange 64 secure together this flange 64 and the top 42 and, as shown in Fig. 4, the depending flange 54 on top 42 extends adjacent the front wall 50 between the flange 64 and the flanges 12 on the top row of openings I0. The end flanges 68 overlie the side walls 56 and 58 (see Fig. 6) and the front ends of each of the side walls 56 and 58 have inwardly extending portions 82 and terminate in forwardly extending portions 84. The portions 82 and 84 on the wall 56 thus extend in the space between the flange 68 and the adjacent flanges I6 and those on wall 58 extend between the other flange 68 and the adjacent flanges I0 thus maintaining the forward ends of walls 56 and 58 in their proper position. The leaf 92 of a hinge 80 is bolted as at 94 to the flange T2 at the top of each opening and each opening 70 is provided with a door 38 which is hingedly connected to the leaf 92 by a hinge pin 96. Each door 98 has inwardly extending strengthening flanges 99 on both vertical edges and carries a key-operated lock I00 and has a lower lip I02 which overlies the front wall 50 below the door.

This back panel has its top An intermediate shelf or partition H6 provides a floor for all the row of lockers closed by the top row of doors 98 and a top walL for the lower row of lockers. This partition II6 has a depending flange or skirt H8 all around. At the front of the partition II6 a series of pockets I are formed, one for each door, to accommodate the projecting tongue I24 of the bolt on the lock I00 of the door 88 thereabove, the bolt extending through a slot or keeper in the flange I4 at the bottom of each opening 10. Along the front of each pocket I20 the flange II8 has a narrow portion I22 so that the lower edge of flange I i8 is on the same level all around. Reference to Fig. 6 shows that the main part of the shelf II6- extends on a level with the flanges 14 below the top row of openings 10 and that a depression 86 is provided at the front of shelf I I6 to accommodate the flanges '14 where the shelf II6 extends thereunder. The rear depending flange II8 of shelf H6 is bolted as at I30 to the rear panel 45. The shelf II6 may also be bolted at other places to rigid fixed portions of the construction, if desired. In the construction shown, however, the shelf I I6 is supported at the front by the depending flange IIB which extends adjacent the front wall 50 in position so that its lower edge may engage the flanges 12 at the top of the lower series of openings 10.

The bottom 44 of the locker is substantially identical in structure with shelf II6 except as hereinafter noted. It has a flange I34 similar to flange II8 and is secured by bolts I36 to the rear panel and to other parts, if desired. Bottom 44 also has a series of pockets I26 similar to the pockets I20 for accommodating the projecting tongues I24 of the bolts on the locks I00 of the bottom row of doors. The flange I34 has a narrow portion I35 similar to the portion I22 and a shallow depression 531 which, like depression 85, is provided to receive the bottom flanges 14 of the lower row of openings I0 and permit the main part of floor 44 to extend on a level with these flanges I4. Floor 44 is supported at the front by the depending flange I34 which extends adjacent the front wall between the lower row of flanges I4 and the bottom flange 66.

To better support the box-like structure 40 an angle iron frame I40 is provided which extends on all four sides of the locker structure 40 under the floor 44 and inside its depending flange I34.

The rear vertical arm I 38 of the angle iron frame I40 is also secured by bolts I36 so that the flange I34 is clamped between the arm I38 and the rear wall 45. The front vertical arm I42 of the frame I40 extends adjacent the inner face of the front portion of flange I34 and is relieved as at I44 at suitable intervals to receive the dished portions of floor 44 where the pockets I26 are formed.

Within the box-like structure 40 the individual lockers in each row are separated by a series of vertical partitions I52 in the top row and I54 in the bottom row. The partitions I52 and I54 are of identical structure. Each partition has two vertical rows of slits I55, I56, I51 and I58 formed therein at the places indicated in Fig. 4. The material of the partitions along each row of slits is then bent laterally of the partition surfaces into a semi-circular shape with alternate portions extending on opposite sides of the partition. Thus, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the material between slits I51 and I58 is bent out on one side ofpartition I52 to provide a circular formation I60 and the material between. slit I58 and thebottom of partition I52 and heads 226 therethrough. When the door is in raised position as shown in dotted lines in Figure l and this small diameter portion 224 of the spool is slid into a slot 228 and the door closed and locked the end of the chain will be held locked to this particular door. The diameter of this spool 220 is larger than the loop 214 in the coat hanger, so that the coat hanger cannot be threaded off the free end of the chain.

By reference to Figure 2 it will be seen that when a coat 230 is placed upon a coat hanger 2l2 and the associated chain 200 is threaded through the sleeve 232 of the coat, and the chain pin 229 is then looked in the slot 228 of the door in the manner hereinbefore described the coat cannot be removed until this door is opened. Thus, each person who controls the key of any particular locker will lock his coat upon the coat hanger and at the same time deposit what articles he desires in the particular locker to be locked by the door which also looks the free end of the chain thereto.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction disclosed herein but is capable of other modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A locker wardrobe comprising a base, spaced apart uprights extending upwardly from said base to provide a Wardrobe space between said uprights, a locker structure mounted on the upper ends of said uprights and overlying said wardrobe space, said locker structure including a plurality of lockers, doors for said lockers, and means extending longitudinally of the top of said wardrobe space including a coat hanger holder and plurality of coat hangers each having a garment supporting portion, an apertured part, and an attaching means, said attaching means adapted detachably to engage in said holder, an elongated flexible member having one end connected to an anchorage adjacent the underside of the locker structure and adapted non-detachably and slidably to pass through said apertured part of one of said coat hangers, the other end of said elongated member having a locking member formed with a portion of reduced cross section and each one or" the doors of the locker structure having a slot to receive the portion of the locking member of reduced cross section and positioned so that when the door is closed the locking member is non-detachably secured to the closed door of the locker.

2. A locker wardrobe comprising a wardrobe portion and a box-like portion thereabove, said box-like portion including a plurality of walls dividing the same into a row of locker compartments each having a door opening, and a door for closing the opening, a support member secured in the upper part of the wardrobe space below the box-like portion, said support member providing 'a horizontal and an upstanding flange, said support member having a plurality of slots located in predetermined spaced relation along the length of said support member and each of said slots extending through both said flanges, and a plurality of coat hangers each having an upstanding shank provided with an eye therethrough and a cross support, said upstanding shank being adapted to pass through the slots in said support member and said cross member being adapted to straddle the portion of the slot formed in said horizontal flange, and an elongated flexible member having one end permanently attached to said locker wardrobe adjacent one of said slots, said elongated flexible member being adapted to be extended through the sleeve or opening of a garment supported on a hanger, the shank of which extends in said last-named slot and said elongated flexible member passing through the eye in said last-named hanger and having an enlargement on its other end of greater dimensions than said eye, means associated with said doors in which said enlargement is removably received when a door is open and in which said enlargement is secured against removal when the door is closed.

3. A wire coat hanger having a garment supporting portion its upper portion doubled to provide a closed loop portion and having another wire loop portion afiixed to the upright shank of the coat hanger and extending outwardly on opposite sides of said shank at right angles thereto below said closed loop portion to form an attaching portion.

4. A locker wardrobe comprising a wardrobe portion and a box-like portion thereabove, said box-like portion including a plurality of walls dividing the same into a row of locker compartments each having a door opening, and a door for closing the opening, a support member secured in the upper part of the wardrobe space below the box-like portion, a plurality of coat hangers detachably mounted on said support member, each coat hanger having an eye formed therein, a plurality of elongated flexible members, one of said elongated flexible members being permanently secured to said locker wardrobe adjacent each coat hanger and passing through the eye of said coat hanger, said coat hanger being detachable from its supporting means but not from the elongated member, the other end of said elongated member having an enlargement larger than the diameter of said eye and being insertable through the sleeve of a coat hanging upon said coat hanger, means associated with said doors in which said elongated member is removably received when a door is opened and in which said elongated member is secured against removal with the enlargement substantially abutting the rear surface of said door when the door is closed,

JOHN B. OCONNOR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 97,562 Snow Dec. 7, 1869 928,728 Wolf July 20, 1909 1,008,271 Jay Nov. 7, 1911- 1,267,414 Hubinger May 28, 1918 1,661,370 Kaser Mar. 6, 1928 1,880,392 Jones Oct. 4, 1932 1,999,310 Thompson Apr. 30, 1935 2,014,340 Morinville Sept. 10, 1935 2,172,266 Whitaker Sept. 5, 1939 2,202,427 Polen May 28, 1940 2,203,716 Bergman June 11, 1940 2,226,670 Pratt Dec. 31, 1940 2,387,681 Reed et al Oct. 23, 1945 2,438,783 Kraft Mar. 30, 1948 

